The number of people who used a mobile phone to tweet rose from 53 per cent of Twitter users to 64 per cent between March and October last year, according to a report from Strategy Analytics.

The study, based on a survey of more than 6,500 people in the US and Europe, also saw the number of people tweeting from their PC fall from 77 per cent to 64 per cent – suggesting that mobile is directly cannibalising desktop usage of Twitter.

Meanwhile, the number of those tweeting from a tablet device rose from nine per cent to 18 per cent. Taking the overlap into account, that means that a total 71 per cent used a mobile device to tweet.

“The immediacy of Twitter communications requires devices which are close to hand at every waking moment,” said David Mercer, VP of digital consumer practice at Strategy Analytics. “By definition, this suggests mobile phones and tablets should be preferred devices for tweeting and the survey evidence points clearly in this direction.”

Twitter usage is highest in the UK, with 21 per cent of respondents identified as frequent users, accessing the social network at least once a week, compared to 18 per cent in the US.

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